While AIRpipe has been engaged in the air compressor industry and air transmission industry ever since 1997, the company was founded in 2008. In India, Airpipe started in 2015 by making products for compressed air pipeline, inert gases, vacuum and water network system. Here, Santosh Kumar, Director, Instamod Airpipe, suggests ways to select the right air pipeline as well as the recent trends in the industry.

How is Instamod Airpipe catering to the textile industry?
Air in the textile industry plays a vital role - whether it is spinning, weaving, or garmenting. We started our first reach in the South India market from Erode, Salem, and Palladam where most of the customers were using only GI (galvanised iron)/MS (mild steel) pipes. When we had given them the RoI calculation theoretically, no one believed that with Aluminium (Al) pipe anyone could even save 30 per cent energy. But, there is a phrase “fortune favours the brave”, and same thing happened to use with zero customers to now 50,000 installations in that area. The second market we explored was in the West part of India, Kolhapur (Maharashtra), where we have big and small spinning/weaving units. They also started using Al piping which resulted in power saving, easy installation, zero leakage, less pressure drop, and last but not the least energy saving of up to 30 per cent in their electricity bill. When two leading markets opted for such a product, other big market in the North Rajasthan belt followed the trend where eight customers out of 10 opted for Al pipes.

What are the recent trends in the compressor and compressed air pipeline sectors?
In reality, too much work needs to be done in the air pipeline industry. Of the total market, the organised compressor industry accounts for around Rs 8,000 crore, while the unorganised sector account for another Rs 1,000 crore. However, the total Al piping suppliers are collectively doing Rs 300 crore – that is less than 10 per cent of the organised compressor market. When the world is going through global warming, we all have to collectively think on this. Even small industrialists can contribute by using energy-saving compressed Airpipe line system as we always provide good quality compressor. While compressor is the heart of ‘air’, ‘pipeline’ is artery of ‘air’. Hence, it is very important for everyone to start using Al pipeline, as it helps is saving money and energy; thus saving the Earth.

What factors must be taken into account when selecting the best air compressor line?
Some of the factors to be considered are:

How important is the quality of compressed air?
Air quality is always ignored in many industries which can be easily understood by the fact that still most of them uses GI/MS pipes. When air travels from utility to usage area, somehow moisture gets inside the GI/MS pipe causing impurities to develop due to oxidation on the internal surface of the pipeline. So the diameter of the pipe gets squeezed up, deteriorating air quality. The flow of the air becomes turbulent leading to pressure loss which increases loading and unloading on compressor. Due to this wear & tear of the compressor components such as belt, oil, the filter will get affected.

Impurities, which are developed inside the pipe, can travel along with air and start affecting FRL, Solenoid valve seals, PU tube, fitting seals and pneumatic cylinder seals which will lead to more maintenance and production loss.